Aluminum can birds

bookjunky4life(5 Central IL)March 15, 2012

I bought these little bird decorations at the dollar store for a $1.50 (one cardinal and one a bluebird) so that I could cut them apart and use them as a pattern to make my own. I taped the one I made out of a can in place of the one I cut off for comparison. I plan on painting them and embossing the lines on the wings and tail from the back side really gives it some shape.

Very nice. I like them. I am making some aluminum can birds, but I am attaching the wings across the body and I am going to hang them in my tree. There are certainly a lot of people using aluminum cans lately. Thank you for sharing.

Well, here I am. I am going to try to post a pic of the bird I have done. It is just my pattern. I glued front and backs to the body and wings, but I think my others will be single layer and I will paint them. Like I said, this is only my first one. Had a problem trying to take a pic outside. It sure flutters around in the breeze.

Cute birds! I was telling my dad some of you were making adorable birds from aluminum cans. Dad looked at me & said "You have my permission to take all aluminum cans from our house to make birds with" (he's 95 & raised all kinds of birds in his lifetime- real ones we got after his stroke & put on patio didn't fair too well so hoping a couple of this kind do better! Thanks for the different ideas on how to make them. I love the little bluebird above & someone had a cute cardinal. I have V-8 Fusion cans that are colorful so might try using outside of them. The root beer are just tan/brown so not very colorful so think would be great for bluebirds. Jan

I am sorry I am not able to post my picture. I have the instructions and for some reason they are not where they are supposed to be. As soon as I find them, I will try again. My picture is in Photobucket. I just have to get it the rest of the way. It's probably some little step I have forgotten to do. Marylee

I am still fighting my computer, but during a break I made a new pattern for my flying bird and I like it better than my first one. Since I can't furnish a pic, I will just tell you what I did. I cut out a bird body (6-1/4 in. from beak to end of tail) and a set of wings (6-1/2 in. from tip to tip) from an aluminum can. The wings are cut as one piece. In the center of the piece I left 1/2 in. to be folded over the back of the bird body. I used a nail to make two holes in the folded wings and back of the bird body. I inserted filament thread through the holes and made a hanger. I then folded the wings up away from the body and they look really nice fluttering around in a tree. I hope this makes sense.

They are so cute ! Can I make a suggestion ? If you're making the "love bird" sign behind them ..... with the bird on the left - flip it's wing over to the back and aim it forward - then they'll be * holding hands *
( wings ) ;)